Picture frame



' March 18, 1958 R, J, FABRY 2,826,843

, PICTURE FRAME Filed July l1, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS March 18, 1958 R. J. FABRY 2,826,843

PICTURE FRAME Filed July ll, 1956 2 Sheets-SheerI 2 ROBERT J. FABRY ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent O PICTURE FRAME Robert J. Fabry, Milwaukee, Wis. Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,155 4 Claims. (Cl. 40'1 52) This invention appertains to changeable exhibits and more particularly to a two-part picture frame for permitting the quick removal and replacement of pictures in the frame.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a two-part frame embodying an inner face plate having a marginal rim adapted to be more or less permanently secured to a wall or other support for receiving the picture to be displayed and a removable ornamental outer frame member for detachably engaging the picture to hold the same in place and to display the same to advantage with novel means carried by the outer frame member for frictionally gripping the rim of the'inner face plate so that accidental displacement of the outer frame member is prevented.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide gripping strips movably supported in the outer frame member and hidden therein normally urged toward one another, but limited in such movement for frictionally engaging and holding the inner face plate when the outer frame member is slipped on the inner member or face plate, so that the two members will be eiectively united against accidental displacement, but freely separable upon forcible movement of the outer frame member.

A further important object of my invention is to provide novel means for forming the outer frame member so that the gripping strips and the elastic tensioning means therefor, can be easily assembled in the outer frame member without the use of nails or other securing members.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the complete frame with a picture in place;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational View of the complete picture frame with parts thereof broken laway and in section to illustrate structural details;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the frame taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustratingthe arrangement ofthe securing strips for receiving the elastic tensioning band and for holding the gripping strips in place;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the frame taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the construction of the gripping strips;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the outer face of one of the gripping strips, and

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. v

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts ice throughout the several views, the letter F generally indicates my improved picturev frame and the same includes inner and outer members 10 and 11. The inner member- 10 includes a flat face plate 12J having a'forwardly projecting marginal rim 13. This inner member 10 can be constructed from any preferred material, but it is proposed to form the same from a molded, thermoplastic material. As illustrated, the inner member 10 receives the picture Pto beV displayed and this picture is'r laidtlat against the outer surface ofthe face plate 12 and'vwith'- inthe rim 13. The face plate 12 is provided with means for receiving a desired type of supporti-ng, fastening-element so that the inner member 10 can be rrnly secured to a wall or othersupport.

The outer member 11.' constitutes an ornamentalA display frame and is also preferably, but not necessarily, molded from thermoplastic material; Thisl member 1`1y includestop and bottom walls 14 and 15 and connecting. end walls 16 and 17. The forward edges of the walls 14, 15, 16 and 17 have formed thereon inwardly directed anges 18' which are adapted to engage the picture P when the twofmembers are associated together.

It is Ito be understood, of course, that the top, bottom and side walls 14, 15, 16`and 17 are shaped and sized so that thesamev can. slide over the rim 13J of the inner member 10.

The inner faces' of the top `and bottom wall members 1-4v and 15' are recessed, as' at 19, for thereception of securing and" holding'strips 20. These holding and securing strips 20 include an inner member 21 of a U- shape in cross-section and this inner part is adapted to be permanently secured in place by the use of a suitable adhesive. The securingand holding strips 20 also include an outer portion 22 which is also of a U-shape in cross-section. This portion 22 is slipped into the portion 21 and is held the-rein by its frictional contact with the inner portion 21. Due to the U-shape of the portions 21 and 22 a hollow construction is had, for a purpose, which will later appear. The portions 22 terminate short of the ends of the portions 21 and short of the end walls 16 and 17.

The inner faces of the end walls 16 and 17 are also recessed, as at 23, and these recesses slidably support gripping strips 24. The gripping strips 24 are preferably ot a hollow construction and include inter-fitting U- shaped members 25 and 26, which can be connected together by an adhesive.

Now in accordance withl my invention, an elastic band 27 extends entirely around the inner portion of the outer frame member 11 and top and bottom stretches 28 thereof are received within the holding and securing strips 20, as best shown in Figure 3. Side stretches 29 thereof are placed within the hollow gripping strips 24 and this elastic band 25 functions to urge these gripping strips toward one another. However, such movement is limited by the engagement of the ends of the gripping strips with the ends of the outer portions 22 of the holding and securing strips 20.

The inner and outer mem-bers 10 and 11 are associated together in the following manner: the picture P is placed within the member 10, after which the user moves the gripping members 24 away from one another with the tips of his fingers, and then slides the member 11 on the member 10 and at the same time releases the gripping strips 24. When the member 11 is slid entirely on the member 10, the strips 24 will frictionally grip the sides of the rim 13 and effectively hold the outer member 11 in place against accidental movement. The outer member 11 can be easily slipped off the inner member by firmly gripping said member 11 and forcibly sliding the same outwardly.

It is to be noted that the members 21 of the holding nd`secring'str`ips" 20 are notched, as at 30, adjacent to theirioppositeends. These notches "canreceive a tool to facilitate the prying out of the portions 22 and upon removal of `such portions 22, the elastic band 27 will drawthefgripping strips toward'oneanother and when theA gripping strips reachthe notches these strips can be bodily pulled out. The device is lassembled'in a similar way,` namely, iirst the gripping strips are inserted in the notches 30 and forced away from one another and after this, the portionsZZ of the holding and securing strips 20 are forced into their portions 21. v

Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:` I l l 1. A picture frame; comprising an inner `member including atface plate and an outwardly projecting marginal rimA for the reception of a picture. to be dispiayed and anouter frame member having top, bottom and side wallsv adapted to embrace A,thetrim and an inwardly projecting ange adapted to extend into the` rim of the inner member and engage said picture, and gripping strips carn ried by certainwalls normally urged toward one another into gripping contact with the rim. t

2. A picture frame as defined in claim 1, and means for limiting the inward movement of the gripping strips toward one another.

3. A picture frame comprising an inner member ineluding a face plate and an outwardly projecting marginal rim adapted to receive a picture to be displayed, and an outer frame member including top, bottom and side walls for embracing the rim, an inwardly directed flange on said Walls adapted to engage the picture, the inner faces of certain of said walls being recessed and gripping strips movably mounted in said recesses, and means normally urging the gripping strips outwardly into frictional contact with the rim when the inner and outer members are slidably associated.

4. A picture frame comprising an inner member including a face plate and a marginal rim, an outer frame member including top, bottom and side walls, and an inwardly directed flange on the outer faces of said walls for engaging display matter placed in the inner member, certain of opposed walls having their inner faces provided with recesses, removable holding and securing strips fitted in said recesses, and certain other opposed walls having their inner faces provided with recesses, gripping strips movably mounted in said last mentioned recesses, an endless elastic band disposed about the frame with certain stretches in rear of the holding and securing strips and other stretches in rear of the gripping strips for normally urging the gripping strips toward one another and into gripping contact with the rim when the inner and outer members are associated, said gripping strips having their terminals engageable with the terminals of the holding and securing strips, whereby inward movement of the gripping strips is limited.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,692,999 Siegel Nov. 27, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS 112,937 Austria Apr.` 25, 1929 

